Government introduces legislation to scrap long-gun registry

I’ve just learned that the government will be tabling legislation in the Senate to scrap the long-gun registry. Current legislation is already on the order paper in the House of Commons, introduced by Conservative MP Gerry Breitkreuz as a private members bill (C-301) whereas the legislation in the Senate is a government bill.

Private members bills usually have a tougher time reaching the stage of Royal Assent and thus government legislation will be given a higher priority and indicates that the government is interested in moving to eliminate the long-gun registry as soon as possible.

The bill is being introduced in the Senate and was initiated by Public Safety minister Peter van Loan. It is being introduced in the Senate due to parliamentary procedure which limits redundant legislation from being concurrently considered by the same Parliamentary body. I’ve learned that the government is moving to fast-track the scrapping of the long-gun registry putting the legislation on the government’s agenda.

The scrapping of the long-gun registry would fulfill an election promise for the Conservative Party of Canada that goes back to 2004 when Stephen Harper ran for leadership of the party promising accomplish this.

The bill is expected to receive majority support in the House of Commons when it is moved from the upper chamber to the House of Commons for its consideration.

UPDATE: The Senate bill is S-5. (no link yet available)

UPDATE: Public Safety is calling it the “long-gun registry repeal act”

UPDATE: In a fundraiser speech last night, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff indicated that he would whip his Liberal senators (sober second thought, indeed) to vote against the legislation so that it wouldn’t even make it to the House for Canada’s elected representatives to consider. Expect the PM to make his case against the appointed Senate and for Ignatieff to lose any perceived ‘gains’ out west. Ladies and gentlemen, the Liberal Party of Toronto.

Bill C-301 had some merrit. Bill S-5 is a total sham and a sell out of the people that put you in power. It is time this “Conservative Government” did the right thing. Grow some balls Harper, Van Loan . End the Long Gun Registry like you promised or leave it alone. We are not stupid. We know Crappy legislation when we see it. Nothing less than Bill C-301 as it was tabled is acceptable. If I’m going to get shafted I prefer it is by the Liberals. I’m used to that

Anonymous

Stephen you know as well as I do that Iggy has taken in many more millions since January and is going to continue raking in donations as he is spending pretty much all his free time doing so. He another major donor dinner coming up in southern Ontario where another $1MM will be raised. They may not get to $20MM by the time the next election happens, hopefully by June, They will be in pretty good shape however.

Anonymous

Stephen you know as well as I do that Iggy has taken in many more millions since January and is going to continue raking in donations as he is spending pretty much all his free time doing so. He another major donor dinner coming up in southern Ontario where another $1MM will be raised. They may not get to $20MM by the time the next election happens, hopefully by June, They will be in pretty good shape however.

Singlr Malt Scotch

The Liebranos said they were sorry to western Canada for not listening and not understanding us. They said that they would try harder and actually listen to western Canada’s concerns. WAFJ, a couple of weeks later Iggy says something different in Quebec and yesterday he says that he will not support the bills.

After the next election we will have a fricking Liebrano minority government and we will have 88 conservative members from western Canada. We will be the whipping boy again.

I trust if that happens, the western premiers and the 88 former Conservative MP’s call for immediate referndums asking for the power to renegotiate a new deal with Canada, failing that negotiate independence, failing that declair unilateral independence and screw the clarity act.

We as westerners have to realize sooner or later we will have to go it alone. Our opportunity to become enguaged in the governance of this country has failed miserably. Eastern Canadian politicians and their electorate have no use for our opinions and views. They are paternalistic and their cultureral belief is that we are unable to understand the issues or able to direct our own futures.

Singlr Malt Scotch

The Liebranos said they were sorry to western Canada for not listening and not understanding us. They said that they would try harder and actually listen to western Canada’s concerns. WAFJ, a couple of weeks later Iggy says something different in Quebec and yesterday he says that he will not support the bills.

After the next election we will have a fricking Liebrano minority government and we will have 88 conservative members from western Canada. We will be the whipping boy again.

I trust if that happens, the western premiers and the 88 former Conservative MP’s call for immediate referndums asking for the power to renegotiate a new deal with Canada, failing that negotiate independence, failing that declair unilateral independence and screw the clarity act.

We as westerners have to realize sooner or later we will have to go it alone. Our opportunity to become enguaged in the governance of this country has failed miserably. Eastern Canadian politicians and their electorate have no use for our opinions and views. They are paternalistic and their cultureral belief is that we are unable to understand the issues or able to direct our own futures.

Omanator

You are too dumb to answer.

Omanator

You think the Libs would do it better. Right now our justice system is a revolving door. Who made it so?

Anonymous

I watched part of Iggy’s speach and it reminded me of the vision I had as a child of the Devil incarnate.
This guy is so ugly it hurts to look at him.

Anonymous

I watched part of Iggy’s speach and it reminded me of the vision I had as a child of the Devil incarnate.
This guy is so ugly it hurts to look at him.

Single Malt Scotch

Iggy says one thing out west and another in the east. Read this little jem.

Once a Fibral always a Fibral. Just like he admitted that the Liberals screwed the west and they will try to do better. ROTFLMAO

terry1

So based on your expert anlaysis of the Liberal party voters is it fair to call the reform party alias the conservatives the “bloc Albertois” . Give your head a shake. The way things ar eheaded the cons may not elect anyone from Newfoundland to the Ontario border next election thanks in part to that great anti Harper sucking sound from Quebec.

Liz J

Never count on Quebec support, it's very fickle, can turn on a dime right up to election day. Some of it is due to the fact the Blocheads have only one province to campaign in and are very good at fear mongering and outright lying. They got in a snit over arts funding when in fact they got more money, not less. That was not the story the Bloc and others spread around.

Toronto is a Liberal block, everyone knows that, but appears to be changing.

You can continue to wear those rose colored glasses but may have to give your head a shake when you remove them and see the real picture.

gimbol

I'm with Mr Taylor on this.

Some of you are saying the senate bill is useless. Well, if its so then does the Commons not have the ability to revise a Senate bill?The real purpose of the senate bill as I see it, is to test Iggnoramass's ability to lead the entire liberal caucus….just before the faux leadership convention.The issue is that now a piece of legislation is before Parliament that may not get passed before the lib convention. With little else to debate at that confab, and the place full of ex-officio delegates some of which passed the gun registry legislation, you can be sure there will be some arm twisting going on to make sure any current lib MP's vote to retain the gun registry. However, some of those ex-officio delegates may also be of the opinion the damn thing should be scrapped and perhaps they may doing some lobbying as well.I don't know, perhaps even someone that doesn't appreciate the manner in which Iggy has gotten himself into the leadership postion and may try to muster the votes needed to get this bill passed?Now imagine if you will, someone gets out their camcorder and happens to catch some of this “negotiation” in progress. The videographer then publishes same on a blog before the leadership team can quash it and before you know it CBC is forced out of embarrassment to run the story on the 6 oclock news.After all there isn't much else that will be going on at the lib confab, will there.

terry1

single malt scotch…it would tak a whole red book to describe Harper's lies and unethical practices…look in your own mirror before you cast big stones around. This PM is biggest liar we have ever had in that office…worse even than Mulroney.

terry1

Gimbo, what will be going on that Liberal convention is a further build of momentum to finally get rid of Harper and have Canada governed by a sensible party of the center, where most of us reside politically, even though it appears he will cut and run before he gets booted.

berniegrant

In my opinion the gun registry should be abolished as it does nothing to stop the illigal use and the money could be better spent in education , more officers, and the courts to impose more stringent fines or confindment

berniegrant

In my opinion the gun registry should be abolished as it does nothing to stop the illigal use and the money could be better spent in education , more officers, and the courts to impose more stringent fines or confindment